[Rock517]

Hey guys, I'm PMing with Foo2rama about this, but I figured I'd ask all of your opinions as well. I'm disabled and use a handcontrol for gas/brake. (http://www.wells-engberg.com/product-CT100.html) Push for brake, twist for gas. Super easy and it's a clean install - worked great in my past two 330Ci's.

I'm looking to buy an '05 M3 SMG but haven't ridden in it yet (will this weekend). Because of my situation, I'll be using it in auto mode almost exclusively. My CA took me for a short ride a few years ago in an SMG M3 and as I recall the auto mode was nice and smooth, but many car mags have bashed it for being rough.

My questions: 1.) After I learn it to feather the throttle during shifts and whatnot, will it be a decent everyday car in auto mode? 2.) I've done some track events (people sh!t when they see wheeling around in my wheelchair in the paddock after I just passed them on the track a few minutes before) - is the 5 setting in auto pretty quick and will it do ok on the track?

Thanks for your input.

PS - I understand the technical differences between an auto and SMG - I know the SMG in auto mode isn't like a real auto w/ a torque converter. I'm just looking for pure SMG auto mode opinions.

[TheWarrior]

I can give you my perspective on this. I own a 2006 M3 'Vert with SMG.

SMG in normal shifting mode is not bad, the only flaw with it is that the car sometimes bucks like a bronco when it's cold, but that's not that big of a deal since you can control that, just don't stomp the pedal.

The auto mode in the SMG is drivable but not really all that great, mainly because it's very hard to predict when the shift will come. Sometimes you'll be driving nice and smooth and you'll want to accelerate and you stomp the pedal, and nothing. The car takes about 2 seconds to downshift to the right gear and then you are off flying.

If you drive in setting 5, the shifts will be quick but you'll also be driving with higher rpm's in slower speeds. Usually when I use the auto mode, I am in setting 1 or 2, and the shifts are very smooth, but you also accelerate alot slower as well since the car does not start in first gear, it starts in second gear.

The SMG speed settings work like this:
1 - Slowest shifts, mainly used when grandma is in the car, SMG will shift around 3K and will get to 6th gear as soon as it can.

2 - Slow shifts, mainly used when wife is in the car and does not like the jerkyness of the shifts. SMG will shift closer to 3.3K RPM, but will get to 6th gear whenever it can.

3-4 - Normal shifting, good for cruising around, SMG will shift at higher RPMs and will be no more than 1-2 shifts from optimum gear.

5 - Fast non-DSC speed, shifts are fast, and SMG will be one shift away from optimum gear.

6 - I don't know if you can get 6th speed using auto mode, someone else can confirm.

[Rock517]

Thanks. Yea, SMG 6 can't be achieved in auto mode. That I know - manual mode only, w/ DSC off.

[Syndicate]

Mine is a daily driver, and it is almost always in auto mode 3 with the sport button on. The shifts are smooth and mode 3 provides ample acceleration IMHO. If I'm cruising through town, I'll usually drop down to mode 1. It shifts much lower and doesn't call unnecessary attention to the vehicle, like the higher reving mode 3 does.

Modes 4 and 5 are great for faster acceleration, but I would not recommend either of those in auto mode, simply due to how high in the RPM range the shifts occur. If I'm putting along at 15mph, I don't want my revs at 4500. Your call though.

As to your query about tracking in auto mode, I would say it isn't ideal. I did laps on the nurburgring in auto mode 5 and in manual 5, and the latter is superior. If you find yourself mid corner at high speeds, I'd rather make the decision as to how it will play out. I don't want the computer taking that decision for me. Again, you can do it, it's just that manual smg is superior in this case.

Hope this helps.

[Foo2rama]

Rock,

Just as a follow up to the last PM I sent, I made a small mistake, As the SMG will not auto upshift like a ferrari in manual mode swapping the downshift paddle to the left will not work as that will place you in manual mode and no way to upshift. Also thinking the bucking issue.. I would think that as long as the throttle lever was longer in throw then the gas pedal you will not have a problem.

[spyre]

I don't know that I would get it if I had to always use the auto mode honestly. Every time I try to use it I get really frustrated with it wanting to shift right when I'm about to hit the gas to speed up and I get stuck during the shift transition. I would probably find a car with a normal automatic. Something like a IS350 would probably work a lot better.

[Fastdog911]

I would find a car more suited for driving in auto

[Rock517]

Thanks for your opinions, guys. Like I just PM'd to Foo, I guess I'm gonna have to go for a nice, long ride with the salesman, have him drive it different ways, and see what I can deduce. But he won't be able to replicate what I'd see at the track with it... If it sucks, I guess I go with an E92 coupe (I'm not spending ~$63K for an everyday driver E92 M3 w/ M-DCT). Not the worst situation to be in, but I loves me the E46 M3 and really wanted one... We'll see, though.

Scott

PS - Re: an IS350 - No room for me to get my wheelchair in. Plus I wouldn't be caught dead in one. Bavarian Motor Werks all the way, baby.

[zen_racer]

occasionally if I need to take a call in the car (normally try to avoid it) or if I'm in stop/go freeway traffic I'll put it in auto mode

I use shift mode 1 (the slowest) so that it will actually start from 2nd gear and not rev too high (saving fuel), but I put it in sport mode so that it's more responsive to the throttle.

I find this to be a perfectly good driving experience. The only problem is if you want to suddenly accelerate. In this case, I will downshift a couple of gears, and automatically switching it to manual mode. I guess you could just tap the shift mode up to the top and floor it, but I haven't tested that scenario.

[Gatorsurgeon]

I guess this is really a subjective thing. I find the car undrivable in auto mode because the shifts are just not smooth in the absence of a torque converter. I don't think I've used auto once since the first week I had the car. As for the manual modes, S5 or S6 are the only ones I use, with rare exceptions. I'll occasionally go to S4 in city stop&go driving. Below that the shifts are too slow for me. Again, this is only one person's .

If I were you, I would not buy the car without driving it first. Furthermore, once you get it, you'll need several thousand miles to really figure out all the nuances of SMG and decide how you like to use it.